A FREE shanty festival weekend is returning for a fourth year of seaside song and dance in the atmospheric old town of Leigh.
Old Leigh Shanty Weekend is a ticketless, free community event open to all, bringing together shanty crews from across the country.
The event will feature performances from folk artistes across Essex, bands and dance sides, and twenty shanty crews.
Entertainment is taking place at venues throughout Old Leigh, including Strand Wharf where the festival stage will be, The Crooked Billet, No 1 Cockleshed, The Boatyard Restaurant, The Mayflower PH, Ye Old Smack and The Peter Boat.
Tony Prior, event organiser and founder, said the old town is a great place for the event, being by the water, and has been a great success since the first year.
He added: “Thank you to all of the Shanty crews coming down, and to all of the venues for getting involved.
“Hopefully we have good weather.”
The three-day festival will kick off on Friday, May 16, with a shanty singaround in The Crooked Billet at 7pm.
On Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, singing will start at noon and culminate in a grand shanty finale at Billet Wharf and Strand Wharf at around 6pm each day.
There will also be charity collection in aid of the Southend RNLI and a real ale bar at Strand Wharf over the weekend.
No road closures will be in place to minimise disruption, with parking available in and around Old Leigh and behind Leigh railway station.
All the performers are giving their services free of charge, with shanty crews in attendance including Southend’s Silver Darlings and Captain Morgan’s Rum Do as well as Leigh’s Hoy Shanty Crew.
The event is supported by Leigh Lions Club, Priority Management Services and The Hoy at Anchor Folk Club.
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